Chosen how to live
by The cursed child
Summary: She leaves. Division has to be stopped, before it turns into what it used to be.


**A/N Spoilers for The life we've chosen! This just forced itself into my mind and wouldn't leave. Enjoy!**

She leaves.

Division can't be saved, she knows that now. It brings the worst in people to the surface and takes them over, until there is nothing else left. The organisation strips people of their humanity, leaves animals in its wake.

She had known from the very first time she heard Ryan would take over Division, instead of shutting it down, that it was just a matter of time.

She had tried to ignore it, drowned herself in the experience of a normal life. Going to yoga classes, making friends. She realised early on that Division had caused her to forget what living is like. She was done surviving.

She went dancing and attended fun little workshops, trying to cram everything she'd ever wanted to do and learn in as little time as possible to keep her mind of the fighting agents in the bunker.

Step by step, Division had entranced her again, slowly changing her back in an agent, instead of the rogue she was so used to being.

She didn't belong there.

Amanda had convinced everyone with her mind games, that Division was home. There was no need to escape. They only existed down there, amongst the other nameless faces. The only had Division, nothing else.

Nikita had been convinced until she met Daniel. He gave her a real home, taught her unintentionally that she did have an identity in the real world. She existed. She was not just a ghost, she was real. Human.

He awoke the feelings that she had buried after her first few missions. She learned how to cry for loss again, how to save people.

Only then, did she realise that Division had changed her, but not irreversably. Never that.

She dissappeared, only to come out of hiding to take Division down. And after all the blood and tears and betrayal, she succeeded. Only to get trapped by its allure again. Division was like a drug.

She watched her friends, her resistance, get sucked back into the life. This time though, they weren't forced out of their prison cell and trained to kill. This time they chose the life.

Ari's last words had reminded her of the lessons Daniel taught her all those years ago. She had a choice. She could choose not to live this life.

So she ripped herself away from Division again, this time leaving friends behind. They had lost their way again, were convinced that the Division they lead was better than the previous one.

She had to tear it all down again, make them see, even if she had to fight them to do it.

So she left.

It was nearing midnight, a government sanctioned mission being handled in Ops by Michael, who gave her a smile before returning to the screen.

She walked toward the table where the crew always gathered to discuss the more important topics. She placed a note on the table and gently slid the ring off her finger. With a glance at the stone, she set it on the paper and took one last look around.

"Really, Nikki?" Birkhoff asked from behind her, his eyes staring at the note. _Division can't be saved, this is not the life we should've chosen._

Nikita froze and cursed in her head. She turned to face her friend, unsure of what she should do. Could she really attack Birkhoff again?

Seymour held his hands in front of him in a non-threatening way. He considered the best course of action, nervously eyeing the gun on her hip.

"At least tell me why," the computer genius said.

"The kill chip."

The nerd considered it and nodded. "If you need anything, use the shell-program you used with Alex."

Nikita frowned, not having expected him to be her ally in this. "Thank you , Nerd," she smiled after a heartbeat. She took a step in his direction, and he nervously stepped back. "You're not going to pistol-whip my face again, are you?"

She enveloped him in a hug, squeezing tightly. "You know how to reach me."

With that, she walked to the elevator with a powerful stride, ignoring Michael's questioning gaze.

Her fiancee, who had seen the exchange in the corner of his eyes, went straight to Birkhoff. The man just nodded to the table, where Michael noticed the engagement ring. His eyes shot to the elevator, where Nikita had been a few seconds ago.

"I'm sorry, Mikey, but she needs to do this."

He ran after her, summoned the elevator, but when he reached the street, she was no where to be seen.

The usual group, minus Nikita, gathered around the round table.

"She took Amanda's decripted Black Box," Ryan shared. The heads shot up at that. Every single one of them knew how dangerous Nikita was as an enemy. With the last Black Box, she was practically unstoppable.

"What now, do we shut Division down before she attacks?" Sean asked.

"Yes," Owen said, "cause I'm not fighting her again. I know better this time."

"No," Michael retorted, hurt and angry, " We prove to her that we are doing good work. And we'll start with those four." He indicated the four missions the president had assigned them.

"Are you insane?" Birkhoff asked incredulously. "Do you remember what happened when Percy went up against her."

"Michael is right," Alex stated. Amanda's words still echoed through her head, the loss of her friend still a painfull ache in her heart. "She won't hurt us."

Seymour, still remembering the last time this happened, disagreed. "She may not kill us, but I don't doubt she will shoot you again to keep you out of the field."

Everyone hesitated at that.

Ryan spoke up again, knowing that his decision would be final. "We do as we planned. Complete the missions, find Amanda."

They all nodded, even Owen, whose first priority was finding Amanda.

Birkhoff, nodded as well, even though he would rather quit on the spot. He saw what Nikita meant now. They were all convinced they were doing the right thing, and there was no one to stop them, no rules to abide.

So this was how Percy's Division had started out. Carla's idea twisted and reformed, because there was no one to answer to, no one to keep them in line.

Apperently, he thought, watching his friends as they went over the next mission, Nikita had a lot more lessons to teach them.


End file.
